ANCHOR BY AIRPORT, SUNDAY NO PETROL, SIMPLE ISLAND LIFE – DAYS 81-84

ANCHOR BY AIRPORT, SUNDAY NO PETROL, SIMPLE ISLAND LIFE – 14 - 17 July, DAYS 81-84

The last day for Lidia and Mateusz was relaxed. We went ashore together to charge computer, phones and power banks and chose the café Aktion with the lovely view over the bay, and with seats under the trees. We found a table inside by an open window but the music was much too loud and mostly not what we wanted to hear, and the waiter had bad attitude so we stayed only two hours half charging the power banks and gave up.

They went off round the Old Town, and we went food shopping, but apart from tourist shops there was not much open but we bought a few supplies.

Back by the Fort we were getting the gusty winds forecast and swam, ate and moved the boat to the south end of Garitsa bay.

At 4 am I rowed them ashore for the 15 minute walk to the airport, surely better than two buses to Gouvia Marina, not that the first airport bus would leave anyway on Sunday until 07.30 from Corfu Town, and they had 6.00 and 8.00 flights.

We did not want to spend the day in the bay so motored to the town quay to buy fuel from the BP petrol station but found it closed. It is on the main road near the port. No Sunday petrol!! So we motored across to Vidos Island which has a lovely anchorage in settled weather and enjoyed the day there hearing the delightful chorus of the many cicadas. Being Sunday there were many locals ashore and in small boats as well as visiting yachts. Before dusk there remained just three yachts, and we went ashore with empty water bottles and some clothes to wash seeing an Italian family had done the same. A rabbit was close to the beach.

It was good to replenish another 60 litres of water and have some clean clothes and cleaning cloths. On Monday morning it was a pleasure to swim naked before we went once more to the town for petrol, and we asked at the petrol station that we could charge up some of our devices while we did some food shopping, chandlery and dive shop. Almost two hours later we motored the short distance back to Vidos Island and anchored, swam and went ashore for more water and to wash a few towels and larger items. Being hot we finished off taking a shower, there being two for beach users.

What a little paradise for our simple life style – an anchorage with crystal clear water close to green trees and the sound of cicadas, with water ashore for our simple needs and so close to Corfu Town when we need more.

The forecast was for NW winds of 12 to 16 knots in the afternoon but we had much glassy swell before I turned off the motor and tried to find the wind which came from many directions. I was successful but after an hour there was just not enough wind to sail to arrive before dark, although eventually some small wind did come from the north. We watched the orange ball of the sun set behind a hill on Corfu 

and came to our chosen anchorage on  St Nikolaos Island to find three yachts there, each with line to the shore as well as anchor forward, and being a small area we did the same for the first time this summer. To take the stern line ashore I went into the water with it and tied it round a rock being careful to avoid stepping on the spiky sea urchins which I could just see without my mask.

Soon it was dark. We had consumed almost another 12 litre can of petrol to cover the 20 miles and hop to Corfu Town. I know the Ionian has a reputation for light winds but I never thought that we would have to motor so much, as indeed most other yachts do.

It was a still night and after a swim on Tuesday morning we motored round to Mourtos Town Quay to find a place to moor and connect to electricity but there was no place available so we decided we can leave it until Preveza. We found a sheltered spot close to trees in Middle Bay out of the stronger wind to have the usual late breakfast and to go ashore later for provisions. Later we did not feel the need to go ashore, tomorrow morning will be better, so we took a siesta and relaxed. I am reading a book, Racundra’s First cruise by Arthur Ransome, first published in 1923. How interesting to hear the exploits of yachting almost a century ago.

I forgot to say that for the last few days we have been using the new anchor, a 10 kg Hall anchor with 15 m of chain and about 35 m of warp. It is much lighter to handle and so far I am well pleased with it. When we expect a blow I will use the heavy Bruce and chain which I always had on the boat.

Again we are close to trees and cicada chorus but this is a spot when various motor boats pass with no consideration to anchored boats, especially the local glass bottom boat, and self-drive hire boats which pass with much swell and can cause things to fall off the table and worktops. We are also close to a flotilla, Belgian and Dutch flags, which has rested today, and children as young as 8 buzz around in dinghies getting out of their parent’s hair but annoying those on yachts for about 4 hours. This is the price to pay for anchoring near to resorts and tourist areas.

The evening was mellow and we finished lying on the trampoline net seeing the Plough, and waxing moon (about one quarter), and other stars as the clouds cleared.